I guess it’s not hard to spot a nurse. Apparently, the generic blue scrubs give it away. I was walking out of a coffee shop the other day before work, when a lady stopped me and asked:
“Are you a nurse?”
I smiled, “Yes”.
“Do you like your job?” she asked.
With a slight hesitation, and a sneaky smile starting to form, I answered, “Yes, I do…. I really do.”
I was honest with her, and explained how some parts of my job are really, REALLY tough, but at the end of the day, I feel good, which to me is everything.
I have those days, I’m not gonna lie, that I feel my teeth are going to grind themselves to shreds from the frustration. From the stress. From the emotional exhaustion. The days when the alarm clock goes off before the sun has even come up, and a groan is the first sound that makes its way out of my mouth. But, THIS is real – these feelings are real. It’s like any relationship, any unconditional relationship. It’s not rainbows and butterflies all of the time. It’s raw, it’s real, it’s filled with every type of emotion. The challenge, the unconditional love, the excitement, the adventure, the trust. It’s all there. Every single up and down and this is why we appreciate it so much. This is passion.. this is real.
Surround yourself with people who love what they do. People who inspire you, who are perhaps at a place where you want to be. It brings about that spark in yourself that will help you to remember, “This is why I do what I do!” For me, it’s surrounding myself with some of my closest friends. Inspiring individuals who take their career to the next level. Who take their work all over the world living flexible, fun, and adventurous lives. Whenever there are too many groans, whenever I forget, this is where I go. This is what I want.
If there are too many mornings in a row of not being excited about the day to come, start to think about what you can do differently. Of how you proactively can make a change. It doesn’t necessarily mean you need a career change per se, or even a relationship change for that matter, but maybe it’s just a subtle wake up call. A reminder to look outside of the box and to take a different perspective. To start seeking out the people and opportunities that make your heart skip. That help bring about that piece in you that can’t sit still with all of the enthusiasm and passion that comes with it.
Sometimes all it takes is a different perspective – a newfound curiosity, a shift in your thinking or an awareness and awakening of your inner passion. Trust me, it’s in there. You just have to pay attention.
When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.
Smile with your heart.
Jenn Thiel is an Emergency Nurse in North Vancouver with a deep passion for wilderness and remote medicine. When not adventuring in her own backyard enjoying as much as BC has to offer, she can be found happily practicing on her yoga mat, ripping through trails on her mountain bike or running amongst the trees in Squamish. Jenn’s mission is to inspire individual’s to create their dream life whilst sharing her passions, inspirations and contagious zest for life along the way. You can read about her journey and discoveries along the way at www.smilewithyourheart.com.